Recently on Cyclingnews.com

Letters to Cyclingnews - March 31, 2006

Here's your chance to get more involved with Cyclingnews. Comments and
criticism on current stories, races, coverage and anything cycling related
are welcomed, even pictures if you wish. Letters should be brief (less
than 300 words), with the sender clearly identified. They may be edited
for space and clarity; please stick to one topic per letter. We will normally
include your name and place of residence, but not your email address unless
you specify in the message.

Each week's best letter gets our 'letter of the week'. We look for for
letters that contain strong, well-presented opinions; humour; useful information
or unusual levels of sheer helpfulness.

Recent letters

Discovery’s American riders

Folks,

The reasons for supporting a particular team are many. I pull for
the American riders regardless of what team they're riding on. Personally,
I have been a fan of Phonak for some time now, even before Floyd
Landis.

My family is from Switzerland so naturally, Phonak is the team.
There are only a few Swiss riders on Phonak, but so what, they're
still my team.

I had the awesome opportunity at the Tour of California to actually
speak to Martin Elminger and Alexandre Moos before the start of
the Friday stage! I was a few feet from Floyd Landis! We are fans
of the team we identify with and the riders, wherever they are from,
is ok with us.

The purpose of a professional cycling team is to win and create
exposure for the sponsors. In order to do that, you hire the best
riders. If those riders are from other countries, so be it. Enjoy
the beauty of the sport and don't get caught up in the" America
versus the world” game.

Discovery's American riders #2

1) Have a greater appreciation for talent beyond US soil,
2) Actually WELCOME foreign talent,
3) Not call "domestiques" - "domestics"
4) Not make any reference to "America's Team" at all.

If ignorance is bliss, the enlightened Mr. Abrams can continue to "race" in
the heartland of America in those fine flat Citizen Crits. Remember, put it
in the big ring Mr. Abrams and take off your saddle bag for that citizen’s race!

Discovery's American riders #3

At the risk of piling on Mr. Abrams...I believe the reason we don't see more
American domestiques in the Pro Tour has more to do with personal economics
than it does Discovery hiring a bunch of guys with funny names.

Most American pros that do Europe maintain a home base in Europe as well as
back in the States. I haven't done the research, but I suspect that costs a
fair bit of cash. Toss in a few trans-Atlantic flights and one's day-to-day
living expenses start piling up quickly. The salary of a Pro Tour domestique
is pretty meagre. It'd be pretty tough to maintain two households on a domestique's
pay. Add in the personal sacrifice of leaving family and friends behind, slaving
away at the back of pack, etc. and it's not too attractive.

For the guys that have the talent to become more than a grunt, the sacrifice
is short-term and leads to something bigger and better. For the guys that would
forever be somebody else's Pro Tour lackey, the sacrifice would last an eternity.
Given a choice of staying in the States, getting decent results, hanging out
with family and friends, and scraping out a liveable wage (barely) versus obscurity,
homesickness, and poverty, I can't see a whole bunch of domestique wannabes
lining up at Disco's doorstep looking for a job.

Discovery’s American riders #4

I have strong mixed feelings about this topic. On one hand, America prides
itself on being a melting pot, and on the other hand we (some Americans) feel
strongly about our American pride, and rooting for our home team.

I actually think the US lacks in national pride, and I like to see some people
taking note. Is it really that threatening to want an American team to have
more national then international talent? Most of the other teams do, in Europe
and around the world!

There is a lot of talent from the US, but it seems that the European teams
(Phonak, CSC, Gerolsteiner, etc), are the only ones that realise it. I think
it’s very reasonable to have around half of the riders on an American team,
to be American. The whole argument about other American sports, like baseball
being so international is not a good analogy. If someone wants to play baseball
at the highest level, the US is the only place to go. Kind of like Europe being
the cycling capital of the world. And the point about all the Australian riders
on European teams, is also equally as faulty. Does Australia have a Pro Tour
Team? No, but I bet if they did that most of the riders would be Australians.
And what's wrong with that? Name another Pro Tour Team that has the same ratio
of nationals to internationals as does Discovery. Don't get me wrong, I believe
in, and love our global community (I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Europe,
and Africa) but I think having some national pride is healthy for us as Americans,
and every other country in the world! In my opinion, international sports (not
like American football) are for instilling national unity, international competition,
and global friendships.

Commonwealth Games time trial

Ratna Rueban's letter about Commonwealth games time trial equipment had me
looking more closely at the photographs when I noticed something peculiar.

Peter Latham of New Zealand started the race using a BT track bike with fixed
wheel, not so unusual I hear you say. The thing is, he is running just one brake
on the front, while UCI rules clearly state that a bike used in road events
must have two brakes, one on each wheel, and no, having a fixed wheel does not
count as a brake.

The commissaires should never have allowed him to start on that bike.

This is my interpretation of the rules, however I am open to being corrected,
as I too like to use a fixed wheel bike in flat time trials and my new track
bike has no facility for a rear brake.

Edwig van Hooydonk

Can anyone tell me what ever became of the Great Belgian classic winner Edwig
van Hooydonk. I have just been watching some old tapes of the 1991 Tour of Flanders
which he won from a solo break as he did also in 1989. He also took 3rd in the
Hell of The North in 1990. After 1991 I never heard of him again. A great rider
one day, and then…

February 10: Ullrich and the
2006 Tour, Too early to call the Tour, AIS crash verdict, Punishment for the
death of Amy Gillett, Women's cycling, Support for Mark French, Michael Rassmussen,
More Kilo and 500m TT argument, Liberty Seguros at Tour Down Under, Hour record,
Sanctions for doping

February 3: International teams,
Liberty Seguros at Tour Down Under, Anti-doping tactics, Ullrich and the 2006
Tour, Too early to call the Tour, Tour of California, Phonak training camp
feature, Aussie national champs, More Kilo and 500m TT argument, McQuaid and
the UCI, Australian championships, Support for Mark French, Sanctions for
doping, Women's cycling, Team strip

January 24: Future of Spanish
cycling, Australian championships, Aussie national champs - a deserved winner,
Aussie nationals, World champion kit, Ullrich and the 2006 Tour, With Lance
gone, Some observations on Oz, PCA suing Dick Pound, International teams

January 6: The Tour hypocrisy,
Pat McQuaid, McQuaid, Bart Wellens, Urine testing, Dope so you can

January 3: That damn Lance,
Bart Wellens, Cyclists in South Australia, EGO Mania, King Pound, Urine testing
for rEPO, The Tour hypocrisy, Dope so you can, Give McQuaid a chance, Elimination
Tour de France